Ashes erupt in fury: ICC chief backs England over TV umpire storm

VIDEO:Scroll down to watch Jimmy Anderson's reaction to the Trott controversy

England were fuming after a controversial umpiring decision robbed them of linchpin batsman Jonathan Trott.

With the hosts resuming their second innings 65 runs behind following an astonishing 98 on his debut from Australia’s teenage No 11 Ashton Agar, Trott was initially given not out after an lbw appeal — only for third umpire Marais Erasmus to overrule the decision.

But a technology blip at Trent Bridge meant Erasmus made his ruling without the side-on HotSpot picture, which England believed would have shown that Trott had hit the ball. They immediately took their grievance to the ICC.

Appeal: The Australian team, including Mitchell Starc, appeal after the ball strikes Jonathan Trott on the pads. Umpire Aleem Dar was initially unmoved

Reviewed: Following a video review, the decision was reversed and Australia celebrate after Dar lifts his finger

Disbelief: Trott can't understand the decision as Starc (right) celebrates in front of him

Sportsmail learned of a dramatic development last night, as ICC chief David Richardson admitted Erasmus was in the wrong and had not followed protocol. Richardson, responding to a personal complaint from ECB chairman Giles Clarke, said there was not enough evidence for Erasmus to overturn the decision as he did not have every tool at his disposal.

England’s players were said to be fuming when they returned to their Nottingham hotel. The second decision which angered England was a reprieve for Agar over a stumping. On-field umpire Aleem Dar was so certain Agar would be given out that he handed Graeme Swann his cap, only for Erasmus to reprieve the debutant.

Look back in anger: Jonathan Trott claimed the ball struck his bat when he was given lbw at Trent Bridge. HotSpot, which was out of action, could have proved this but wasn't available

Sequence: These grabs show the trajectory of the delivery and the Snickometer reading. There does appear to be a clear deviation from the bat

Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen
steered England to 80 for two and a narrow lead of 15 but the rows over-
shadowed another astonishing day of Test cricket.

‘It is frustrating the (Trott)
decision got overturned,’ said Jimmy Anderson, who helped reduce
Australia to 117 for nine before Agar’s world-record last-wicket stand
of 163 with Phil Hughes.

‘Jonathan Trott hit the ball and was
given not out on the field. I’m not sure what went on after that. We’re
all for technology. Since it’s come in, more decisions have been given
out correctly.’

The stumping also puzzled England. ‘I
only saw the replay on the giant screen, but I thought it was out,’
said Anderson. ‘And Matt Prior was pretty confident too.’

Plum: Hawkeye analysis suggested Trott was out leg before wicket

Anderson praised Agar’s innings of
98. ‘He played very well,’ he said. ‘We didn’t know a great deal about
him but he dug in brilliantly.’

Agar was still smiling last night several hours after he had carved his name into Ashes folklore.
‘I’ve always dreamed about playing Test cricket for Australia and for my
debut to have gone the way it has, I’m over the moon,’ he said.

‘Darren Lehmann told the team to bat
in our natural styles and I batted the way I like to, which is to try to
take the game on.’ He was two runs off a century, only to pull a short
ball into the hands of Graeme Swann. ‘I hit it too well,’ he admitted.